GENERAL: I have received and thank
you for your friendly letter of the 20th instant. I have no intention of entering into a
personal or newspaper controversy with General Sickles. I hardly expected he would
acknowledge writing, or being a party to the writing, of the letter by Historicus; but I
did expect he would have the manliness to say, though he was not a party to its
publication, that its contents were, in his judgment and belief, correct and true. As
these statements are in direct conflict with my official report, I thought this might be
considered sufficiently official by the Department to justify an investigation. Of course,
if he denies having had anything to do with the matter, why that is an end of it.
I am not as philosophical as you are, nor do I
consider it good policy to permit such slanders as have been circulated to pass entirely
unnoticed. They have an influence with many people to whom I am a stranger; indeed, even
my friends, believing me innocent, have still been puzzled to account for and understand
these charges.
I had no intention of annoying the Department,
and if you and the Secretary think it better policy for me to keep quiet, I will withdraw
the letter I have written, or remain satisfied with an official reply that the Department
cannot interfere or take action on an anonymous communication.